Cookin' in the 'Cuse

Getting in a Pickle

I think the Cookin' in the 'Cuse community is awesome and one of the things that makes it so great is the willingness of readers to share ideas, events, and even recipes.  This recipe for pickles come from Kathleen in the Albany area.  It seems so quick and easy I can't help but give it a try.  She even provided some step by step pics. It is right in the spirit of this year's Eat Local Challenge with its emphasis on canning, freezing, and preserving. 

Though we are in the last days of this year's Challenge, I hope to post more about preserving and canning because in many ways, the preserving season is just at its peak.  We can look forward to preserving all the delicious apples and squash that are just coming to market and we'll still have lots of beans and greens over the next month or so.  And, I still can't keep up with my tomatoes.  If you've been having fun canning and preserving this month, drop a comment and let us know what you've been up to.

Bread and Butter Pickles

2 cups sliced cucumber
1 medium onion, sliced thin
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup white vinegar
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. mustard seed
1/4 tsp. celery seed
1/4 tsp. turmeric

Set out ingredients

Sliced cucumbers

Combine vinegar and dry ingredients in a microwave safe bowl, add
sliced cucumber and onion, mix well.

Choose a bowl you won't mind
getting discolored a nice day-glo green.
Cover with plastic wrap and microwave 5 minutes on High.

Stir, microwave for 5 more minutes. Refrigerate immediately.

Kathleen's "Yummy Pickles"!

Keeping Track of Recalls

I guess I missed it in my busy-ness but I was a bit shocked to see signs of the latest mixed greens recall in the Dewitt Wegman's.  To read more and get my take on the future of the Eat Local movement, check out my latest post on the Eat Local Challenge blog.

Archive Alert:  On this date in 2005 I was reflecting on the Eat Local journey.

Eat Local Potluck Dinner--September 29

During this Eat Local Challenge month many of you are no doubt making connections with local food sources and delicious, fresh, flavors.  It only seems right, then, that we make some connections with one another. 

Thanks to the initiative of frequent commenter Heather Brubaker, I'm delighted to announce a Syracuse area Eat Local Potluck Dinner for Saturday, September 29 at 6pm.  This dinner will be held in the University/Westcott neighborhood of Syracuse.  It is my hope that this will the first of many such gatherings.  You can read more details below and if you'd like to attend please email me for specific location and directions:  JLBASKER [at] SYR [dot] edu.

What: Eat Local Potluck
When: Saturday, Sept 29th at 6:00 PM
Where:  University/Westcott Neighborhood

In the spirit of the Eat Local Challenge, please bring a dish that is made from food grown as local as possible.  This will give everyone a chance to share some of their favorite local food sources. Also, if possible, bring copies of the recipe so we can recreate your delicious dish on our own.   We'll have a chance to talk about the joys and challenges of eating locally in Syracuse and, perhaps, lay a foundation for an Eat Local Dinner Club.

Archive Alert: On this date in 2005 I was falling in love with St. Martin's Table.

On this date in 2006 I was looking at the Spin of the Spinach Controversy.

How many signs does it take?

Where have I been?  I've been here.  Wanting to write, not able to write.  Not able to write about something that brings me such joy--food.  There's no great reason except, perhaps, writing exhaustion.  Within the past few weeks I've had to write for and edit two newsletters, write and preach several sermons, lead more meetings than I can count, and my last full day off was sometime around the middle of last month. 

So I haven't been able to write much.  Not that I didn't want to.  I thought about it every day.   

But today there was a sign that I should write something, anything.  A friend at the Co-op basically asked if I was ever going to blog again.  I guess it's been that long.  Then at the Regional Market I ran into a family that reads my blog and I was once again reminded that I hadn't written.  Then, I stopped by the Wake Robin Farm booth to pick up some milk and Bruce asked about the blog.  So I decided I'd write something--anything.

Then after running a few errands at the mall I found myself driving home behind a flat-bed truck filled with Toad Hollow Farm compost--alright, I get it! 

I have to give it to my fellow bloggers who are able to write nearly daily for years on end.  I hope this blog will be around for some time to come and I thank all of you for reminding me that it matters.

Archive Alert:  On this date in 2005 I was discovering Twin Cities Thai.

Local Food Source--Sundance Farm

When I pass the Sundance Farm stall at the CNY Regional Market I'm not sure what brings a bigger smile to my face:  the large, happy, sunflowers broadcasting happiness or the beautiful display of produce.  Or, it could be the signs that gently teach about heirloom tomatoes.  It is probably all of these things and more that make this stand a happy place to visit on a Saturday morning. 

Of course, those from the Skaneateles area may be well aware of this Marcellus-based organic farm.  Not only have they have been a fixture at their Thursday farmers' market, they even briefly had a storefront next to Doug's Fish Fry's back entrance.  (I had hoped to write about them this past winter--even had photos--but they had closed before I put the post up.)  I hope to make a visit to Sundance sometime soon--they are so close, after all.  In the meantime, I'll let these photos tell their story.  Perhaps they'll make you smile too.

If you haven't had an heirloom tomato before this sign is sure to tempt you.

The Sundance sunflowers are everywhere--even watching over the tomatoes and corn.

These beauties were the find of the day--fresh cranberry beans.

Have vegetables ever looked prettier in pink?  Sundance provides several recipes too.

These sunflowers make me think of a modern-day chuckle patch (anyone remember The Magic Garden?)

Sundance Farm can be found at the CNY Regional Market between Sheds D and E on Saturdays.

Getting to know Alice

Though I can hardly contain my excitement about the Alice Waters/Judy Wicks lecture coming up at Syracuse University on October 9th, I'm slowly coming to realize that there are a lot of people who don't know who either of them are.  I'm often surprised by this especially since Alice Waters has been on the national and international stage for a while now. 

It so happens that Alice Waters' latest book is being released the week before the lecture:  The Art of Simple Food-Notes, Lessons, & Recipes from a Delicious Revolution is some 400 pages long and is sure to be a thorough way to get to know Alice in her own words.  In the meantime, here is a short interview to provide a quick introduction to those who are less familiar with this food icon as well something new for those who think they know her.

Eating Local in Winter Begins Now

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The 2007 Eat Local Challenge is underway and in case you didn't hear, the theme this time around is canning and preserving.  In her book Animal, Vegetable, Miracle,  Barbara Kingsolver notes that it is easy to eat local in the winter months but you have to prepare for it in the summer.  I've had mixed results trying to eat local up here in the snow belt of Upstate New York during the colder months but thanks to this year's challenge, I'm preparing now so that it won't be all root vegetables and storage apples come January.

September is a great time to be eating local in Central New York.  The markets are full of produce, backyard and community gardens are at their peak, and there is still more goodness to come.  Right now, I'm all about preserving tomatoes.  There are more Sungolds and Amish paste than even I can eat but if I put them up now, I'll be able to pull them out of the freezer or off the shelf just when the craving hits around November.  Many farmers' markets are selling tomatoes by the bushel so you can get in on the action even if you didn't grow your own.

In an effort to make it easier to find the local, organic, and sustainable producers in our area I've reorganized the links on the left.  Now the Local Food Sources are grouped by type so you can pick out the vegetable growers from the dairy farms more easily.  Please note, this is not a comprehensive list.  It is a rather quirky list that reflects the farms and producers closest to Syracuse or others a bit further out that I think are worth supporting and seeking out.  Some of the producers I'd like to list are missing because they don't have websites.  And if there are others that I might want to know about--please email me and let me know.  I hope that this list will only continue to grow.

In addition, let me recommend keeping up with the Eat Local Challenge blog.  There are some great posts and resources about canning and preserving food.  Plus, if you want to share photos about your eat local experience you can upload them there.

Finally, there seems to be a movement afoot to have a Syracuse Eat Local dinner this month.  I'll post more details as they come together.